Who are you?

Part 45

Shiori woke up in a strange place. It looked like an old abandoned temple, its wooden pillars weathered with time and covered in faded carvings. Dust motes floated in the dim light filtering through cracks in the walls, giving the place an ethereal glow. Something about the atmosphere tugged at her memory, like a half-remembered dream. Still, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall ever being here before.

Before she could dwell on the unsettling familiarity, a loud, sharp, and urgent "Caw" echoed through the temple. Her heart leaped as it reminded her of Scar. She quickly turned toward the sound but froze when her eyes landed on someone else entirely.

Standing there was a man she had never seen before—or so she thought. His presence carried an air of calm authority, yet his gaze was warm, almost knowing. He simply looked at her, unmoving, as if waiting for her to speak first.

"Hello?" she said hesitantly, her voice trembling slightly. Her instincts told her to be wary, but something about him kept her from backing away.

"Hello, Shiori-san. It is nice to finally meet you like this." His smooth voice carried a kind undertone that somehow eased her nerves.

"You know me?" Shiori's brow furrowed in confusion. She was certain she had never met this man. Unless... Did he mean the encounter in the room? But the way he spoke felt far too personal, as though they'd met countless times before.

"Forgive me. I forgot how strange our circumstances are," he said, offering a small smile. Then, he reached for the edges of his robe and pulled it apart, revealing a deep, jagged scar on his chest.

Shiori's eyes widened. That Scar—it was unmistakable.

"Scar?" she gasped, stumbling back a step. Her mind reeled. How was that even possible?

"Yes," he replied softly as if his words might shatter the fragile reality she was grappling with. "I'm the one you affectionately gave that name to. While I am sure you have many questions, I'm afraid we do not have much time." He stepped closer then, lowering himself to sit cross-legged in front of her, his posture unthreatening yet firm.

Shiori's breath came faster. Questions swirled in her mind, threatening to spill out all at once, but she forced herself to focus. "What do you mean? Where even are we?"

"Fear not, little one. Your body is still where you passed out. This is merely a place for us to talk. It's your mindscape."

The words hung in the air, and Shiori felt her pulse slow. Mindscape. She had read about them before in her studies—an internal realm formed by the subconscious. But how was he here? She knew only Yamanaka clan members were capable of entering another's mind.

"If this is my mindscape, how are you here?" she asked, her voice steadier now despite the strange situation.

Yoichi—Scar—lowered his head briefly as though gathering his thoughts before answering. "I will explain it to you," he said, "but I must do so through a story. A short one. You see, long ago, I was a priest in this temple." He gestured to their surroundings, his eyes briefly clouded with nostalgia. "I had many disciples, and I dedicated my life to spreading peace throughout the world."

He paused, his expression darkening. Shiori felt the weight of his words, sensing that whatever came next would change everything she thought she knew about him.

"But everything changed on that fateful day when they came to ask for my help."

"I know that you've already put together many of the pieces I've left you, so I will just complete the story for you. After I reached that village, I tried to find the beast, but I had no luck. The night they wanted to sacrifice that child, I followed them into the woods and freed the child, sending one of my disciples to take him to his father as I took his place in the woods. I was confident in my abilities, so I was not worried about confronting the beast."